Time For Family

Daddy, you get to stay home today? I had tried to sneak quietly out of the room but my daughter who had snuck in sometime in the middle of the night was looking at me with her bright, joy filled eyes as I tried to quietly exit. I picked her up, hugged her and told her that no, I had to go to work. I know every working parent has probably experienced this moment. But what makes it a unique challenge for the pastor, is that on this day – like so many, I didn’t get to tell her I would be home to play outside, drink imaginary tea or do any other activity with her. Work would end, but it would also just begin. I would come home to a meeting, phone calls, preparation for a meeting later that week and ultimately to a prayer service where the last participant would be there until late at night – well past her bedtime.

My family is too valuable for this. I do not want to wake up when she is going off to college and realize that there are more days than I can count where she grew up outside of my presence. The great challenge – is what to do about it? How do I balance the seemingly ever shrinking time I have for her – with the belief that I am in a place where God wants me – both in ministry and job? If my church were larger, I may have people I could hand off responsibilities to. You can plan and organize time, but no matter how good you are at it you will still face limitations.

For me, one option has been to re-examine the “church”. Biblical definitions of the church are a far cry from what we experience today. In fact, the Bible exclusively refers to the church as the people. Nowhere does it list a specific facility in a specific town where a known group of people were to meet. In fact, Jesus tells Peter he is the rock on which the church will be built (Matthew 16:18). I believe every Christian will tell you they understand this dynamic and would agree with it. But in truth we seldom live it out. And the more I examine this idea, the more I wonder what else have we got wrong?

What scripture says that the church needs to read scripture every time they are together? Where does it tell us we must sing when we are together? Where does it say a sermon must be given to the body of believers every week? Where is our guidance to have a special song selection each week? Where are we instructed to have children’s church? Teen church?

So much of what we do really doesn’t fit God’s definition of the church, so why do it? Here comes the lazy in this pastor…what if you didn’t plan a Sunday service? What if you went with a Biblical concept instead? What if you allowed the people who attended to provide the content of the service? Something that mirrors I Corinthians 14:26? Two things could be accomplished. First, your church would more clearly reflect scripture. And second, you would free up a lot of time spent planning – time that you could perhaps spend with the family God has blessed you with.

I am not suggesting this is a clear-cut solution. I think it is one where a congregation would have to figure out details that are best for them. Perhaps steps would be gradual. Perhaps they would be drastic. But I think it is one of many viable steps that would make a church more like the one Christ was building on Peter, and one that provides an overburdened pastor with necessary relief. And finally, I can attest to my experience – that as my congregation moves toward a more biblical reflection of church, its people have matured in ways beyond my expectations. They are growing more and more vibrant in their walk with God every day. They are taking more and more responsibility in their relationship with Christ. And so not only do I experience a much easier, less time consumed effort at planning a Sunday service, I have more time with my family and another great stress (the spiritual welfare of my congregation) is also relieved.

I still have a lot to learn. We are not perfect. But we are more like the scriptural Bride of Christ then we used to be. And we don’t have to burn ourselves out to get there. Neither do you.